Office of the Citizens' Advocate

The Office of the Citizens' Advocate was created by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Charter to provide Lexington's residents with an ombudsperson, or independent agent, within the government to:

• Investigate complaints.
• Disclose any irregularities or abuses on the part of the LFUCG, its officers, agents or employees.
• Recommend policy changes to improve citizen access to LFUCG departments, divisions, agencies and offices.
• Provide callers with information and referrals.

The Citizens' Advocate is not authorized to investigate complaints against:

• Elected officials outside the LFUCG
• Constitutional offices, courts, fiscal court or county clerk
• State or federal government offices
• Private parties
• Outside agencies or non-governmental organizations
• Police officers
  • In response to recommendations from the Mayor's 2020 Commission for Racial Justice & Equality, the Urban County Council tasked the Citizens' Advocate in July 2021 with the following responsibilities, when requested by individuals seeking to file a complaint with the Lexington Police Department:
    • Explain the LPD complaint process.
    • Assist individuals filing an informal complaint.
    • Accompany individuals filing a formal complaint to the LPD.
    • Update individuals about the status of their complaints with the LPD
  • The Citizens' Advocate is not authorized to investigate complaints against the LPD and is not involved in LPD's disciplinary process.
  • Learn more about the LPD complaint process.

The Office of the Citizens' Advocate is not a substitute or replacement for a department's standard complaint resolution mechanism. The complainant must make a reasonable effort to solve the problem with the LFUCG department, division, agency or office at issue before contacting the Citizens' Advocate.

To file an online complaint with the Office of the Citizens’ Advocate, use the Citizens’ Advocate Complaint Form.

Citizens' Advocate Complaint Form